The price of passion
by ceroxon
Summary: Ukyo uses passion spices to bring Ryoga and Akane closer together. The result is a tragedy.
1. Chapter 1

This is a lemon fic! By this I mean that this story deals with adult issues and contains sexually explicit material. DO NOT read this if you are underage or if mature themes/sexually explicit contents disturb you. This is your one and only warning.

The Price of Passion  
a Ranma 1/2 Fanfic  
by Yoiko

**NA: THIS IS NOT MY FANFIC (Ceroxon). I FOUND IT ON OLD WEBSITE.**

"Aren't you ready yet?" Ranma asked crossly.

"Just a minute! You don't have to be such a jerk about it," Akane grumbled, rushing down the stairs.

"Here, take this with you," Ranma said, tossing a large black sweater at her. Akane caught it before it could hit her in the face.

"Why on earth would I need this?" Akane snapped, gripping the cardigan in her fist.

"Because it might get cold in the theater, OK? And I don't wanna have to leave early because you get cold or nothing like that."

"Fine! I'll take the sweater, jerk!"

"Tomboy!"

"Pervert!"

"Macho chick!"

"Goodbye!" Soun and Genma called, waving cheerfully as the two bickering teenagers left together. "Enjoy the movie!" The two fathers shook hands and congratulated each other on their brilliant plan to get Ranma and Akane to spend some time together. And it had only cost them the price of a few movie tickets!

Ranma stalked along beside Akane until they were well out of earshot.

"They bought it," he sighed.

"Thank goodness!" Akane answered. She didn't like deceiving her father like this... but Soun and Genma's enthusiasm would surely destroy the rapport that had been so hard for the two teens to establish. It had all started a few days before, with a note from a "Secret Admirer" that Akane had found propped up on her pillow when she got home from school. Ranma had, naturally, pretended to have no knowledge of it, but Akane had known. Who else but Ranma could have written such an awkwardly sweet note, and then left it on her pillow with none the wiser?

That night, she had seated herself beside him at dinner and whispered, "I got your message." He had grinned at her, and she had smiled in return, her cheeks warming in a delicate blush, and she had known... and ever since then, things had been different between them.

Akane and Ranma got to the theater a few minutes late; the movie had already started. Ranma pointed out an empty row of seats near the back, and guided his fiancee in that direction. The two of them sat, and Akane fidgeted and draped the black sweater across her lap while Ranma casually looked around to be sure nobody had followed them. The last thing he wanted was nosy parents or pushy would-be girlfriends interfering. Satisfied that nobody he knew was in the theater, Ranma put his arm along the back of Akane's chair.

"What are you doing?" Akane whispered, puzzled.

"Uh... nothing. Watch the movie," Ranma whispered in return. Akane's eyes returned to the screen. A tiny smile stole across her lips as she leaned against him, and his arm dropped to rest across her shoulders. The motions were timid, hesitant, as though they were each expecting the other to get angry. She turned to smile up at him, her heart fluttering in her chest as he pulled her a little closer, his lips parting slightly as he leaned down to meet her...

It wasn't magical, this first kiss, but it was... nice, she supposed, in a sloppy sort of way. Akane was thankful that the theater was dark enough to mask her blush. "Akane..." Ranma whispered, and pulled her against him, kissing her as though he wanted to devour her. She was uncomfortably aware of the arm-rest between them digging into her stomach, the tension in her back as his arm pulled her forward, the too-sudden shock of his tongue thrusting into her mouth... but he appeared to be enjoying it, and he seemed so anxious. Even if it didn't exactly fulfill her romantic girlhood dreams, it was nice to feel wanted by her fiance... and she could live without childish fantasies.

It seemed to go on forever, and Akane thought he would never tire. She pushed against his chest, gently, and when he lifted his mouth from hers, she whispered, "We'll miss the movie..."

"I don't care," he whispered back, and kissed her again.

Ukyo watched as Ranma and Akane whispered to each other. She had followed them in from the street, and ducked just in time to avoid being spotted by Ranma. Now she wished to God she hadn't even left her restaurant today. The movie wasn't even half over yet, but she ran out as though the building were on fire. Sick with envy, she sped through the evening crowds, unaware of the tears that streaked down her face. Ukyo slammed the door shut behind her and ran all the way to her room, where she threw herself onto the bed. Still sobbing, she curled up under the covers in a small, miserable heap. There had to be some way... If she could only get Ranma away from Akane without hurting anyone, she was sure he'd realize that Ukyo was the right one, the only one for him.

It was a fairly slow day at the Nekohanten, and Cologne was tending the restaurant alone when Ukyo walked in and asked to speak to her.

"What brings you here to see me?" the old woman asked, wiping her hands as she stepped out from behind the counter.

"I need your help," Ukyo said. "I know you and Shampoo have plans of your own for Ranma, but so far none of us has had any luck with him. I think we should team up, at least long enough to get him away from Akane. After that, it's every woman for herself."

"Hmmm...an interesting idea..." Cologne mused.

"It's got to be something that can't be pinned on any of us," Ukyo continued.

"The trick is to take Akane out of the picture," the old Amazon said. "Now, it's possible to use something like the Reversal Jewel to change a person's feelings... but you can't expect her to wear a jewel all the time. No, we need something else..."

"Do you have any love potions?"

"Why do you ask, child? I won't give you anything to help you catch Ranma for yourself."

"Oh, of course not!" Ukyo agreed a little too hastily, discomfited by the knowing gleam in the old woman's eyes. "No, I meant... if we could get Akane to fall in love with someone else..."

"That's not a bad idea," Cologne said, her wizened old face wrinkling up like a monkey's as she smiled. "I have something that just might work, if you can find someone to transfer her affections to."

"Uh, excuse me," said a familiar voice from the doorway. "I'm looking for Furinkan High School..."

Ukyo and Cologne smiled at each other.

"Just be yourself!" Ukyo said in an irritated tone of voice. It had been no easy task to get Akane to agree to meet her here, and Ukyo was not about to have her plans ruined by Ryoga's shyness. Ryoga nodded, a dazed expression on his face.

"Just be myself. Right." Ryoga barely even heard his own voice repeating what Ukyo had said. Akane had agreed to have lunch with him! Fear and pure joy warred for dominance in his heart.

"Hello? Ukyo? I got your message," Akane called. At the sound of her voice, Ryoga's eyes bugged out.

"Just be yourself, you jackass!" Ukyo hissed at him as she went to greet Akane.

"Hi, Akane, I'm glad you were able to make it. Come on in."

"Oh, hello, Ryoga," Akane said as Ukyo ushered her to the stool beside him. Akane glanced around the empty restaurant for a minute, puzzled. "Ukyo, why did you want me to come over here when the place is closed?"

"Well, I'll explain in a minute. First, can I get you guys to try this? I've been experimenting with a new recipe." Ryoga and Akane gladly agreed to sample the okonomiyaki, and Ukyo served them her specialty in record time. She set down two cups of tea and then excused herself, explaining that she had forgotten to pick something up at the market.

"Please, enjoy the okonomiyaki. I'll be back later," Ukyo said, then left smiling. Ryoga and Akane shrugged and then started to eat.

The okonomiyaki was awfully spicy! Ryoga swallowed and took a sip of his tea. Feeling a little flushed, he tugged at his shirt's collar, then glanced over at Akane. She was just finishing her meal with obvious enjoyment.

"Aren't you hungry?" Akane asked, noticing Ryoga's nearly-untouched food.

"Not very. Would you like some of mine?"

"Thanks!" Akane said as he handed over a large piece of his okonomiyaki. Ryoga slowly finished the rest of his meal while Akane polished off the piece she'd been given and drank all the tea. She still looked hungry - in fact, the way she was staring at him was...unnerving. There was just something about her presence that was making him even jumpier than usual around her.

"Uh, would you like something else?" Ryoga asked with a nervous laugh.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I would," Akane said in a low voice, licking her lips and leaning in toward him.

"OK, I'll see what I can find in the kitchen!" Ryoga said in a rush, practically falling out of his chair. This was just what he needed, a chance to get some space and clear his head. He found some Ramen noodles in one of the cabinets and sighed in relief. This was something he knew how to cook! He had just put the noodles on to boil when he felt Akane's hand on his shoulder.

"Yah!" Ryoga cried, reflexively jumping and turning to face her. Akane grinned at him as he relaxed back out of his defensive stance.

"Sorry!" he said with a shy smile. "Sorry, I didn't hear you come in."

Akane smiled and took a step closer to him. He was so cute when he was nervous, she just wanted to hold him and... Why hadn't she ever noticed how adorable he was? Maybe because he smiled so rarely...

Ryoga unconsciously stepped backward as she advanced until he was backed up against the stove. Akane grabbed a fistful of his shirt.

"What are y-" Ryoga gasped as Akane pulled his shirt out and ran her hands up under it, savoring the feel of his skin under her fingertips. Ryoga was solidly built, somewhat more muscular than Ranma, and she was already wondering what it would feel like to have his arms around her, his lips on hers. She trailed her fingers lightly across his stomach, grinning as the sensation made him twitch.

The feel of Akane's hands against his skin was setting off a riot of small explosions in Ryoga's head.

"A-Akane...?" he whispered, barely daring to hope that she meant what he thought.

"Ryoga..." Akane moaned as she leaned in to kiss him. Ryoga's heart skipped a beat in sheer delirious joy as he bent to kiss her...and then he noticed the container over her shoulder.

"What's this?" he asked, peering at the symbols on the small bottle. "Passion spice?"

"Who cares?" Akane asked, pressing up against him and pulling his head down.

"But...but if Ukyo used passion spice..."

"It doesn't matter!" Akane said impatiently, tracing her fingers just above the waistband of his pants.

"Akane..." Ryoga squeaked, trying to gently disentangle himself from her. "You don't know what you're saying."

"I know what I'm saying. I'm saying come here," Akane said huskily as Ryoga started to pull away from her. She ended up holding his shirt and staring at him across the length of the kitchen. With a confident smile, she tossed the shirt aside.

"Uh..." Ryoga said, panicking as she began to slowly advance again. "Your noodles! I think they're done!"

"Forget the noodles," Akane said with a sultry smile.

"I-I thought... you were hungry..." Ryoga mumbled weakly as Akane began tracing delicate patterns across his bare chest.

"I am...hungry..." Akane answered, licking her lips. "But not for food."

Ryoga gasped in shock as he felt his belt fall off in a sudden movement.

"P-please don't!" he said as he backed away, clutching at his pants to keep them from falling down.

"But why?" Akane asked. "Don't you want me?" She slowly began to unbutton her blouse.

Ryoga laughed nervously. Not want her? This was Akane! He wanted her so much he ached! But...he wanted so much more...

"It's not you, it's the spice talking!" Ryoga said, squeezing his eyes shut as Akane slid the blouse off her shoulders.

"And is that so bad?" her husky voice whispered. "Is it so bad for me to want you?" Ryoga thought he heard the sound of more clothing sliding to the floor.

"You'd hate me tomorrow!" Ryoga exclaimed, holding his pants up with both hands as he felt her start to tug at them.

"No, I wouldn't."

"Yes you would! Please stop that!" What was wrong with her? Couldn't she see what she was doing to him?

"Ryoga," Akane said. "Look at me."

"Mm-mm!" Ryoga kept his eyes tightly shut.

"I won't hate you in the morning."

"Yes, you would!" Ryoga insisted miserably.

"Tell me this, then, Ryoga. Are you really going to leave me suffering like this?"

"Oh..." Ryoga moaned. And in his moment of indecision, he felt her lips touch his with an appeal that left his heart racing. Any defenses he had crumbled, and slowly he began to respond to her kiss. Akane pulled back a little and Ryoga followed, putting his arms around her. His pants fell down around his ankles, leaving him standing in his boxers, and his eyes opened wide in surprise. He had forgotten to hold them up! Akane's wide brown eyes were smoldering at him with feverish need, but there was a spark of amusement there as well.

"Touch me..." she whispered against his mouth, and then she kissed him again, guiding his hands over her warm, bare flesh. Ryoga stared, awed as she pressed her breasts into his hands. Her own hands slid slowly up his arms and then down along his ribs. Ryoga bent and kissed her again, then trailed kisses along her jawline and down her throat as she slid her hands down his stomach. He grabbed her hands as they began to move lower and brought them to his lips instead, placing a tender kiss on each fingertip. He knew that it was the passion spice making Akane act this way, and while he couldn't let her suffer, he couldn't fully take advantage of the situation either. He resolved that he'd do everything in his power to satisfy her.

Ryoga gently lowered his head to brush his lips against her collarbone, and felt her tugging her fingers out of his. She pressed his hands against her breasts again, rubbing the tiny hard buds of her nipples against his open palms. Ryoga was on the verge of a nosebleed as Akane's hands rose to tangle in his hair, pulling his head down.

"Don't think about it," he told himself sternly. "Stop thinking about yourself, and think about Akane!" He gently licked at a nipple, hearing Akane's sharp indrawn breath, and then tenderly fastened his mouth on it and began to suck. Akane moaned deep in her throat, writhing at the sensation. One of Ryoga's strong hands rested in the small of her back, supporting her, and the other stroked her with a feather-light touch, down from her breast to her navel. Akane wondered dazedly at his delicate touch, for she had seen these same hands crush walnuts and shatter boulders. His mouth left her breast and traveled down after his teasing fingers, down to circle her navel with his tongue. Akane trembled as Ryoga slowly sank to his knees, dropping one hand to trace along the tops of her dainty feet, his thick hair brushing against her stomach. Akane braced herself, her feet wider apart, and Ryoga trailed his fingers up along her calves, tickling, and further up along the insides of her thighs. He nudged her legs wider apart as he slowly and gently began to explore that most secret part of her with his fingers, trembling with awe and desperate longing. Akane moaned imploringly and moved towards him, and Ryoga finally pressed his mouth against her, slowly tonguing her.

Akane's knees started to buckle and she cried out at the power of the feeling. She had never felt anything like this, nothing like...Ryoga's tongue was moving against her, and she found herself pumping her hips at him uncontrollably. His hands moved up underneath her, clutching her hips to hold her still. One of her feet lifted off the ground and the other bore part of her weight, while Ryoga bore the rest of her weight in his powerful arms. He held her up to his mouth like a ripe peach, worshipfully pleasuring her while Akane writhed like a cat in heat. Ryoga fluttered his tongue against her clitoris and she went rigid, breathlessly frozen and then exploding in a widening rush of pleasure.

Ryoga drew away, slowly placing Akane back on her feet. He was shaking with need, still savoring her taste against the roof of his mouth, panting as though he had run a marathon. He grabbed his pants with numbed fingers and quickly drew them on, glancing around for the rest of his clothes. He picked up his belt and then spotted his shirt on the other side of the room. He hesitantly edged past Akane, who was staring at him oddly.

Akane?" Ryoga began. She looked at him blankly, and he stared back. He didn't know what to ask. "Uh..." he said, blushing, "Are you...Ok?"

"Fine," Akane said numbly, scooping up her own clothing with a bemused air. She was still feeling the aftershocks, faint tremors deep inside her, and the desperate need for more was building. Ryoga bent over to pick up his shirt, and desire for him curled in her suddenly and fiercely. Before she could even think about what she was doing, she had crossed the room and caught him up in a tight hug. Ryoga dropped the shirt in surprise.

"Akane?"

"Ryoga," Akane sighed, and kissed him deeply, savoring her own taste and smell on his mouth. She could feel his arousal pressing against her belly as she hugged him tight. Before he could stop her, she slid one hand down and stroked him through the fabric of his pants. Ryoga trembled for a moment and then jumped away from her as if burned.

"I'd better go!" he blurted out, and then stooped to grab his shirt again.

"Ryoga, don't leave me! I need you!" Akane cried desperately, yearningly.

"I can't stay," Ryoga said, guiltily glancing away from the need in her eyes. As it was, she might hate him when the spice wore off.

"If you leave now, I'll never forgive you!" Akane cried, fearful that he might leave her alone with this aching need. Ryoga looked up at her, a confused, frightened expression on his face.

"If I stay, you'll never forgive me," he whispered harshly. "I don't know what to do..."

"Ryoga, stay!" Akane whispered back urgently. "Stay here with me, it's all right, it'll be all right." While she spoke she dropped to her knees beside him and put her arms around his neck, twining her fingers in his thick hair, just beneath his bandanna. The soft bundle of her clothes bumped against his bare back, an unnecessary reminder that she was naked and in need. Ryoga shuddered wordlessly, then silently scooped her up in his arms and carried her out of the kitchen.

"Where are we going?" Akane murmured, nibbling lightly at his neck.

"The bedroom."

"Oh," Akane said. "I think it's upstairs. You're going the wrong way." She gave him directions and they soon made it to Ukyo's bedroom. Akane could feel the desire humming in her veins, and she was nearly frantic to know that keening pleasure again. Ryoga placed her on the bed gently and slipped his hand between her legs, using her own moisture to make his fingers glide easily over her flesh, and Akane threw her legs wide apart and bucked against his hand.

"You're so...beautiful..." Ryoga gasped, awed, and then he lowered his mouth to taste her again, to taste her irresistible nectar.

"Ryoga, please," Akane gasped, as the pleasure built to a low steady thrum, "I need you inside me!"

Ryoga obediently slipped first one finger and then another into her tight wet passage, and flattened his tongue against her clitoris, rubbing it slowly back and forth. Akane stiffened suddenly and then he felt the force of her orgasm pulling at his fingers, the secret hidden mouth of her pulsing against his hand and lips like a heartbeat. He kept his mouth on her until the last tremors had faded, and then he slowly pulled his fingers back out of her and sat back, drawing a ragged breath. His own heart was hammering in his chest, his body singing with high-pitched need, his sex achingly alive. He drew his moist fingers across his lips, tasting her again, inhaling her sweet scent. He could never get enough of her, he wanted all of her, her body, her spirit...

"Ryoga," Akane moaned again, then opened her eyes to gaze up at him curiously. "Ryoga, why won't you...I mean, I know you need me, too..." she said as she reached over to stroke his stomach just above the waistband of his pants. Ryoga shied away from her and tried to catch her hands in his own when she persisted.

"Akane," he rasped. "I can't...I...if I...let you, then..."

"Ryoga," Akane said sternly, pulling his face around to force him to meet her serious eyes, "I forgive you. If you need me to say it again in the morning, I'll say it again. I forgive you. Do you hear me?"

Ryoga nodded slowly, no longer resisting as Akane brushed her lips against his. He sighed against her mouth and allowed her to push him down onto the bed. Grinning down at him, Akane yanked at his trousers, pulling them down around his knees in one swift movement. Ryoga gasped as her hands roamed over his naked flesh, gently caressing him and then circling his shaft to stroke him in an upward motion. Ryoga cried out, arching his back in reaction. Akane gazed down at him, still smiling, delighted that she had the same power over him. He looked up at her in almost fearful anticipation as she lowered her head to slowly take him into her mouth. Ryoga froze, tense and still, his fists clenched tight around wadded-up bedspread as Akane lowered her head a fraction of an inch at a time. Just as slowly she began to rise up again, her lips locked tight around him, her teeth scraping him lightly. A tiny whispered sigh escaped his lips as Akane began to increase her rhythm, and soon the sigh became a muted groan.

"Akane," he gasped, "I can't...hold back..." Akane's only answer was to maintain her pace, using her hands to add to the friction until her mouth was suddenly filled with salty fluid. She swallowed in surprise and looked down at him, and smiled at the dumbfounded expression on his face. She leaned down and kissed him, letting him taste his own seed on her mouth.

"Akane..." Ryoga said shakily, gazing up into her smiling eyes. Akane kissed him again, leisurely, dropping one hand to slowly rub up along his thigh. Ryoga kissed her back, growling low in his throat as her hand began to gently caress him, renewing his arousal with a sensation that was both pain and pleasure.

"Ryoga," Akane whispered, "Just stay still, OK? Just don't move." She threw a leg over his hips to straddle him.

"Ah...I...OK..." Ryoga sighed as she began to rub herself against him. He knew he should stop her now, there was something wrong here...but it felt so good, the threads of his thoughts flew apart, and all he could think of was that this was Akane, this was the woman he adored.

Akane kept up the motion, grinding her hips against him until her need had built back up to a fever-pitch, then she drew a deep breath and, using her hands to guide him, she brought her weight down on him in one swift movement. The two of them stared wide-eyed at each other for a moment. A single tear rolled down Akane's cheek as the sudden sharp pain broke the spice-induced mood. She had meant to share this with Ranma...

"Ukyo, what's wrong?" Ranma asked. His "cute fiancee" glanced away from him without answering.

"Nothing. Would you like some okonomiyaki?" Ukyo asked hopefully. Maybe if she gave him just a little of the spice...

Ranma gave her a puzzled look, then said, "Ucchan, I wish you'd stop trying to feed me and tell me what it is." He glanced out the window for the third time in as many minutes, wondering where Akane was. She should have been home an hour ago.

Ukyo sighed. "Ranchan, I was hoping we could spend some time together, just the two of us."

"Well... we are," Ranma said, and glanced out the window again.

"That's not what I meant..." Ukyo's voice trailed off as Ranma turned to look at her, and she averted her gaze once again. This was wrong - she wanted Ranma to love her on her own merits, not on the basis of some Chinese herbs... and what she had done to Akane... what she had done was just wrong.

"Yanno, I'd almost think you had a guilty conscience or something," Ranma said. "What gives?"

"Ranma-honey, there's something I think I should tell you..." Ukyo began.

"So TELL me already!" Ranma shouted, starting to feel paranoid.

"It's..." Ukyo hesitated. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone..."

"Are you gonna tell me, or not?"

Ukyo turned her face away, her long hair partially hiding her guilty expression. "Ranchan..." she started.

"What?!"

"I... fixed Ryoga and Akane up on a date. And I put something in their food."

"What did you do?" Ranma asked in a dangerously quiet voice.

Ukyo lowered her head, unable to face the accusation in his bright blue eyes. "Passion spice..." she whispered. She looked up in time to see Ranma race out the door, away from her, and her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Akane?" Ryoga breathed, his concern for her almost making him forget how good it felt. "Are you...are you hurt?"

Akane moved to get up off of Ryoga, and the sensation of him moving inside her reignited her desire with a suddenness that made her shudder. Slowly she sank back down again, moaning, and then began to move in earnest, her tears flowing all the while. Ryoga brushed her wet cheek lightly and his own eyes filled with tears as he realized the significance. She didn't love him, she would never love him. Nobody would ever...

Akane threw her head back and called Ryoga's name as she reached her climax, and the feeling of her body throbbing around him sent Ryoga over the edge. Akane fell across him like a wilted flower, and the two of them lay still, their heartbeats gradually slowing down, the occasional hitch of breath the only sound as they each wept.

Ranma pushed through the door of Ucchan's, his heart freezing as he heard noises upstairs. He got to the doorway of Ukyo's room in time to see Akane throw her head back and call Ryoga's name. Ranma stood frozen with horror, the image of the two of them together etching itself irrevocably into his memory. Sick with rage, he silently backed away and crept down the stairs. He stood at the bottom of the stairs, seeing nothing, his mind's eye filled with that single image while his heart burned with agony and twisted with dark fury.

"I...will have revenge..." Ranma whispered into the blackness.

THE END

The characters in this story are not mine (they are the creation and property of Rumiko Takahashi, and are used here without permission), and neither is the idea of "Passion Spice." My apologies to whoever thought up "Passion Spice." I don't have a name to attach to the idea, but if you let me know who you are, I'll be happy to give you proper credit.

Author's Note: I did not create Ranma 1/2, and the Ranma 1/2 characters and situations are being used in this fic without permission or license. This story is not meant to be taken as a claim to the copyright, and I do not mean any disrespect whatsoever to the creators of this wonderful anime.

If you have any comments or suggestions, please Sign My Guestbook I'd love to hear from you!


	2. Chapter 2

This is a lemon fic! By this I mean that this story deals with adult issues and contains sexually explicit material. You should also be aware that this fic contains dark and disturbing subject matter. DO NOT read this if you are underage or if mature themes/sexually explicit contents disturb you, or if you think you cannot handle dark stories. This is your one and only warning.

The Price of Passion, Part Two  
a Ranma 1/2 Fanfic  
by Yoiko

**NA: This is not my fanfic (Ceroxon). I found it on old website "the ranma ½ lemon story archive".**

"A-Akane?"

"Oh, no," Akane moaned, rolling herself off of Ryoga and scrubbing at her tears. "Oh, no, no, no..."

"I'm... I..." Ryoga paused and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," he finally managed, his voice cracking. Akane made a noise that was half-laugh, half-sob.

"Not half as sorry as I am." Ryoga's eyes widened, and Akane turned away from the soul-deep hurt there. Numbly, she started to get dressed, dimly aware that Ryoga was pulling his pants on and searching in vain for his shirt.

"Downstairs," she said quietly, and led him to the ground floor, both of them shaken and silent.

"Well, well," a familiar voice said coldly as they neared the bottom of the steps, and Akane and Ryoga both froze in shock. "It's about time you two came downstairs."

"R-Ranma," Ryoga said, his eyes wide with fear as he noticed the manic gleam in his rival's eyes. "It's not what you think-"

"Don't you even speak to me," Ranma snarled through clenched teeth, shaking in fury. "After what you've done, you goddamned bast-"

"Ranma!" Akane interrupted. "It wasn't Ryoga's fault."

"Not his fault! How can you say that? He RAPED you!" Akane reeled in shock at the word 'rape' as Ranma brandished the canister of Passion Spice, waving it right under her nose. "He gave you this!"

"That's a lie!" Ryoga shouted. "Akane, you know how it- you can't possibly believe-"

"No...that's wrong," Akane said, pushing the canister away from her with a grimace. "Ryoga's a nice guy, he wouldn't-"

"A nice guy?" Ranma's eyes widened, and with a half-crazed smile, he crossed to the other side of the grill, coming back a moment later with a full glass of water. "You wanna see how nice a guy he is?"

"No!" Ryoga gasped, stepping behind Akane. Ranma darted forward, flung the cold water over him and then clamped a hand around the horrified piglet's rib cage, holding him up in front of Akane.

"There's your Nice Guy!" he snarled, shaking P-Chan, who squirmed uselessly. Ranma didn't even feel it when two of P-Chan's ribs snapped under the pressure, but he heard the piglet's pained whimper.

"Rapist," he spat. "Serve you right if I get a vet-" his threat was cut off by a cry of concern as Akane slumped to the floor in a dead faint. "Akane!" Ranma fell to his knees, still holding his helpless enemy in an iron grip. P-Chan frantically tried to squirm free, and Ranma squeezed again, making the broken ends of his ribs scrape each other. In a desperate effort to stop the pain, the little piglet lashed out with his teeth, hoping to startle Ranma into dropping him. Suddenly P-Chan was flying, thrown toward the wall with devastating force. His front legs took the brunt of the impact, but it wasn't enough to protect his head from a stunning blow. P-Chan tumbled to the floor, jarring the agonizing pain in his ribs. He staggered up on wobbling legs, trying to pull himself away as the darkness surrounded him, trying to force his limbs to coordinate and run... The last thing he saw was Ranma reaching down toward him, a grim smile on his face.

Akane woke up feeling odd, and had to focus a moment to remember what it was that had her out of sorts. She closed her eyes again and groaned as the memory returned. Ryoga's wide eyes, his voice whispering, "I don't know what to do... you'll never forgive me," then his hands, his sweet mouth, his body...

"Oh, God," she whispered, and slowly sat up, wondering how she had come to be back in her own room. Ranma had accused Ryoga of raping her... did that mean Ryoga knew there was Passion Spice in the food? Was that why he hadn't eaten much? And then... he was... P-Chan... Another wave of dizziness swept over her, and she grimaced at the bile that rose in her throat. If Ryoga was the kind of person who would take advantage of her trust that way... then who was to say that he wasn't the one who put the Spice in the food? He had accused Ukyo, she remembered now. But what if all his protests had been a game, and one he'd known he would win? She had been well and truly drugged... had it been part of his sick plan to have her beg him? She cringed with shame, her cheeks flaming. She had done a lot more than just beg.

A new thought struck her, and fresh horror welled up with overpowering nausea, and she ran for the bathroom. What if she were pregnant? Sobbing, she stripped off her soiled clothing and scrubbed herself, trying to wipe away the memory of Ryoga's hands, his mouth... she scrubbed till her skin was raw and stinging, and stepped into the scalding bath with a hiss of pain. Sobbing, she settled down into the steaming water, hugging herself against a chill that no amount of heat could thaw. What if she were pregnant?

Ryoga struggled to wake up. A deep breath brought stabbing pain back to life in his side, and after several minutes he managed to squint one eye open. His left arm was curled in front of him, and he gasped in horror as he noted that the canister of Passion Spice lay right beside him. In an effort to crawl away from the incriminating canister, he tried to move his right arm, and the hot flash of agony that shot up the protesting limb made him cry out hoarsely. He closed his eye again, and made no further effort to sort out how his limbs were arranged. A chilly breeze blew over his naked, twisted body, ruffling his hair like the touch of a lover. He shivered, and his ribs protested the torment, provoking another hoarse whimper.

"Hey, what's - look at this!" a deep voice exclaimed. Ryoga almost wept with relief that it wasn't Ranma's voice. "Looks like he's been run over or somethin'!"

"Looks like he needs a doctor," the second voice said.

"What's this here?" said a third voice. "Passion Spice?" Ryoga heard the sound of the canister opening, and he opened his eyes with a gasp, looking up in time to see three tough-looking men, one of whom dipped a finger into the Spice and licked it off.

"Hm," he commented, and Ryoga noted absently that the man had evidently been in more than one fight in his life - his nose had obviously been broken and healed before, probably more than once, and his knuckles were scarred.

"C'mon, don't be messing with that stuff, Koji. The kid looks like he's been hurt," the shortest of the three said.

"Got a pretty little face, though," Koji replied, and Ryoga's eyes flew wide as a pair of big, hard hands started touching him familiarly.

"No!" Ryoga opened his mouth to bellow, but the hands pushed against his ribs, and all that came out was a tiny, agonized whisper of sound.

"Man, what the hell are you doing?" the third man said, reaching down to grab his crooked-nosed friend by the shoulder.

"Taking him with us. You want to go upstairs, right, Pretty Boy?" Koji swept the lost boy up over his shoulder, and Ryoga mercifully passed out. A dark laugh was the last thing he heard, and his last conscious thought was that Ranma had set him up.

Akane spent the next few days in a welter of anxiety, while her thoughts traveled in circles. She couldn't tell Dr. Tofu what had happened... and what if she went to buy a pregnancy test, and someone recognized her? And what would she do if she turned out to be pregnant? And even if she wasn't... what should she do? She couldn't marry Ranma now... and that was assuming he even wanted to marry her. She couldn't bear it if he made her shame public...

And what about Ranma? He was her fiance, and she had expected that her first time would be with him. And Ryoga... she had known about his crush on her, and she had secretly enjoyed it. She'd felt guilty for not just confronting him about it at the start, but it had been so flattering to have someone adore her that way. But now... the thought of what they had done together brought a twinge of remembered pleasure to go with the guilt, but knowing that he had orchestrated it made her sick with shame and anger. The roiling emotions and twisted echo of desire nauseated her... and then she was back to worrying over the possibility of pregnancy again.

She mechanically went through the motions of an average day, but all of it, classes and exams and family dinners, faded into a haze of unreality, and she found that she couldn't meet anyone's eyes, least of all Ranma's. She felt as though she was looking at her life through a distorted lens... and at night she wept for what she had lost, for her sense of self and the easy joy in her own life that she had taken for granted.

What if she were pregnant?

Ryoga gasped as he climbed the last flight of stairs, almost ignoring the white-hot agony of his ribs in his panic. He had finally escaped from Koji and his friends... he brushed at his mouth, spitting out the last of the Spice, and forced open the door that led out onto the roof, wondering just how many floors this building had, anyway. It had seemed like an awfully long climb...

"Nowhere left to run... now come back and play," Koji said, and Ryoga turned to see the three men starting up the flight of stairs. His face twisted with revulsion. If they touched him, he'd be lost... Stifling a whimper of pain, Ryoga staggered up the last step and slammed the metal door shut. They were right, there was nowhere left to run... He wouldn't be able to hold the door shut against the three of them for very long, either. A single tear traced down his cheek as he made his inevitable decision, and he ran to the edge of the roof and over, his wide-open eyes taking in the sight of the street far below him.

He had never really known Hell until now.

Ukyo stood for a long time, staring at the Tendos' front door. This wasn't going to be easy... but she owed Ran-chan - she owed Ranma an apology and an explanation. And she had to speak to Akane, as well. Taking a deep breath, she knocked.

"Yes? Oh, hello!" Kasumi said, and Ukyo took encouragement from the fact that the eldest Tendo sister was smiling at her.

"I need to talk to Ranma. Is he here?" she asked, fidgeting nervously with the ends of her hair - she had left her combat spatula back at the restaurant, but her hands felt empty, and she missed its comforting weight strapped to her back.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, but you've missed him," Kasumi said.

"Kasumi? Who is it?" Akane's voice asked from inside the house, and then Akane herself peered around her older sister. The almost-smile faded from her face, and her expression closed up. "Oh. You're too late, he's gone already."

"Gone?"

"Ranma left on a training trip," Kasumi explained, smiling apologetically as Akane started to stalk away.

"Wait! Akane, I want to talk to you!" Ukyo cried.

"Well, I don't want to talk to you," Akane snapped, then turned on her heel and climbed the stairs, her posture stiff with anger.

"I'm so sorry, but you seem to have come at a bad time," Kasumi said.

"No, I'm sorry. I'll try again later," Ukyo answered glumly. "Do you know when Ranma will be back?"

"According to his note... never," Kasumi said, her eyes deep with sympathetic regret. "I'm so sorry that you missed him."

"I see," Ukyo said. "Well... thank you." She turned and started to walk away, stunned. Ranma was gone for good.

"Goodbye," Kasumi called, and Ukyo waved numbly. Her thoughts churned as she made her way to the Nekohanten to talk to Cologne - surely the two of them could put their heads together and find a way to put things to rights...

Long-lashed eyes widened incredulously as she approached the restaurant. An "Out of Buisness" sign had been hastily nailed onto the front door, and other than that the place appeared to be deserted. A long moment passed while it all sank in - Cologne's willingness to cooperate, Ranma's disappearance, the Nekohanten hurriedly closed down. Ukyo's face slowly reddened, and her fists clenched in impotent fury, aching for the solid, heavy handle of her combat spatula.

"That old WITCH!" she howled. Her outburst attracted some attention from passersby, and Ukyo belatedly calmed herself and started walking. After the people who had witnessed her little outburst had moved on, Ukyo retraced her steps to the Nekohanten and snuck down the side alley.

The door presented no challenge at all to a person with her abilities - one solid kick tore it half-off the hinges. Ukyo entered the kitchen cautiously - there was no telling what kinds of traps Cologne might have left behind. That crafty old crone had played Ukyo like a fiddle... and she, sucker that she was, had fallen right into the Amazons' plans. Not only were Ranma and Akane split up, but the only one with dirty hands in the matter was Ukyo.

"How could I have been so blind?" she muttered to herself. A pitiful squawk caught her attention, and Ukyo turned to see a white duck closed up in a wooden cage in a dark corner of the room.

"They left you here to starve to death?" Ukyo asked, horrified. The duck watched quietly as she knelt and unfastened the cage, then it waddled out and looked at her. "This is probably my fault too, you know," Ukyo sighed. "Well, at least you're better off free than you would be on a dinner plate. Go on, duck. You can count yourself lucky. I have to figure out what to do..." The duck quacked encouragingly, and Ukyo shrugged. "Talking to a duck. Now I know I've really lost it..." She sighed again, and sat on the wood floor, and slowly related the whole hurtful tale, from Ranma and Akane's date to finding the Nekohanten abandoned. "It's all my fault," she said, her throat tight with unshed tears, "and now I've got to find some way to fix things..." Ukyo leaned heavily against the wall, her head hanging in shame and defeat, and sobbed quietly, unaware that the curiously attentive duck was still watching her.

"He's coming around," a deep voice said, and Ryoga winced, straining to get away from the grating tones. Everything hurt, and he couldn't move. Someone pulled his eyelids apart, and he whimpered at the lancing pain in his head as a light seemed to pierce through him. He tried to turn away as the procedure was repeated with his other eye.

"No concussion. It's amazing..." someone mumbled.

"Where...?" he gasped.

"Just take it easy, kid, you're in the hospital."

"I'm not dead?"

"What'd you say?"

"He asked if he's dead," a female voice answered. "You're not dead, young man. Don't worry, we'll take good care of you." There was a vaguely oniony taste in the back of his throat, and he tried to lift an arm to brush aside the plastic mask covering his mouth and nose, but his limbs wouldn't respond.

"Just relax, kid," the man's voice said. "Just breathe nice and easy."

"The world... is a dark and lonely..." Ryoga mumbled, and then he knew no more.

Ukyo's heart skipped a beat as she saw the letter in her mailbox, addressed in a familiar scrawl. Several rubber bands attached the letter to an unmarked videotape, and she snapped half of them in her haste to get to the letter. Her search of the Nekohanten had done absolutely no good - there hadn't been so much as a scrap of a clue to lead her to Ranma. But now... if he was contacting her, there was still hope. Somehow, everything just had to work out!

"Ukyo," the letter began, and her heart sank. Not "Ucchan" or even "Dear Ukyo," but just "Ukyo."

"Ukyo, by the time you read this I'll be long gone. I'm not coming back to Nerima and I never want to see you again. There's a videotape there, it's for Ryoga. Don't look at it. Just give it to him. I'm sure you'll know where to find him..." The rest of it blurred in her vision, and she sank down onto the ground, sobbing, the letter crumpled in one hand.

"...Son, wake up, now," a familiar deep voice was saying, and Ryoga moaned. His eyes felt gummy as though they'd been glued shut, but he forced them to open and focused blearily on his father's face.

"Dad?"

"Oh, thank goodness you're all right!" his mother said, and Ryoga blinked, mustering up a faint smile. His ribs were the least of his problems now - his right leg and arm were covered in plaster casts, and everything hurt. His mother brushed his long bangs out of his eyes, and his head throbbed fiercely under the stiffness of more bandages.

"Son... tell us what happened," his father said solemnly.

"What?"

"We know that some of your injuries..." His father was obviously uncomfortable, and Ryoga was puzzled.

"What about my injuries?"

"Dear, there's plenty of time to go into that later," his mother said, and patted Ryoga's cheek lightly. "We're just so glad you're all right, Ryoga."

"Thanks, Mom..." Ryoga whispered, his throat tightening. "I'm glad to see you both." It suddenly occurred to him that they didn't know... they must never know...

"Hello?" There was a soft knock at the door. "May I come in?"

"Well, hello, Miss," Mr. Hibiki said.

"I'm here to see Ryoga, is this the right room?"

"What are you doing here?" Ryoga snapped.

"Now, now, Son, show some manners," his mother reproved, and Ryoga glared at Ukyo as she crossed to the foot of the bed.

"I... uh, got a letter," Ukyo said, trying not to react visibly to the sight of Ryoga battered and broken in a hospital bed. This was what her actions had brought... "From Ranma."

"Oh, isn't that your little friend, dear?" Mrs. Hibiki asked, oblivious to the fact that Ryoga had gone suddenly pale at the mention of Ranma's name. Mr. Hibiki noticed, though, and frowned.

"Did this letter have something to do with my son?" he asked, still frowning. He wondered if Ranma had something to do with his son's injuries... perhaps that explained the strange reaction to his name.

"Sort of... he sent me this tape, and the letter said to bring it to Ryoga."

"Hm. Well, no harm in that," Mr. Hibiki said, and took the tape from her. "Videotape, huh? Well, we have a player here..."

"If you'll excuse me, I should go now," Ukyo said, and hurried out of the room, hoping to get to the restroom before anyone saw her crying. Somehow, some way, she would have to make it right... In the letter, Ranma had accused her of working with Ryoga, and had insisted that she do this one thing for him. Her heart broke, knowing that he never wanted to see her again. The worst part of all was that she had done it to herself.

"No, please..." a husky voice rasped from the TV monitor. Ryoga gaped in horror as he realized what the videotape was.

"Ryoga, what-?" His mother's hand rose to cover her mouth as the image focused, revealing Ryoga grimacing in pain and unmistakable passion.

"Turn it off!" Ryoga shouted, but his father stood frozen as the camera angle widened to show his son writhing in the arms of the three men. Ryoga turned white as a sheet, then very dark as the blood rushed to his face in a heated blush. Both his parents turned to face him, and he drew a sharp, panicked breath as he saw the censure in his father's expression.

"Dad, it's not what it looks-"

"It looks," Mr. Hibiki gritted out through clenched teeth, "like you..." He paused a moment, his fists clenching furiously. "It looks like you had sex with three MEN and enjoyed it!"

"But it wasn't-" Ryoga protested. On the video screen behind them, Ryoga was thrusting into the air and whimpering.

"No son of mine..." Mr. Hibiki began. "No. I have no son." He turned his back then, and Ryoga glanced helplessly at his mother. She looked from her son to her husband, and after a long pause she silently turned. They left without another word, and the impassioned moans from the TV almost blocked the sound of their footsteps as they walked away.

With a wild, anguished cry, Ryoga dragged himself out of the bed, staggered across the room, and slammed his left hand through the TV screen. The searing pain was nothing compared to the loss of his family as he destroyed the unit, ripped out the videotape and mutilated it beyond recognition. He was oblivious to the orderlies crowding into the room until one of them stabbed a needle into him, and he fell into a faint, and there was nothing but agony and blackness.

He woke slowly, numbness smothering him. He forced himself to take a deep breath and shook his head, feeling as though it were stuffed with cotton. His limbs were numb, too. He remembered that his right arm was in a cast, but the left one... the left arm wasn't moving as he willed it to. Taking in another deep breath, he forced his eyelids apart. His left arm was restrained, the hand swathed in fresh white bandages, and there were bands across his body preventing movement. He would have whimpered, but no sound would come out. His breathing quickened and became more shallow as he struggled futilely to get out of the restraints.

"Don't bother, you're not going anywhere," a voice said softly, and Ryoga looked up to see a nurse watching over him. Her icy blue eyes offered little comfort, and he bristled under the impartial gaze, tugging experimentally at his bonds.

"How is he?" an all-too-familiar voice asked, and he turned to glare poisonously at Ukyo as she stepped into the room. "Don't be that way, Ryoga. I think I have a solution to your problems."

"What could you possibly know about my problems?" Ryoga snarled.

"Well, I heard about what happened with your family..." Ukyo said. "And since I feel responsible for the whole mess with Ranma and Akane..."

"You ARE responsible!"

"Don't get over-excited," the nurse interrupted, "or I'll have to give you another shot." With a pointed look at each of them, she made a quick notation in Ryoga's chart and then left.

"You are responsible," Ryoga insisted in a quieter tone of voice. "I didn't have anything to do with it."

"I know, you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," Ukyo admitted. "Look, I'm admitting that I'm to blame-"

"Damn right."

"And I'm TRYING to make it right, ya jackass!"

"Who are you calling a jackass?"

"You don't want to get over-excited,"Ukyo reminded him, and Ryoga glared at her, then turned away with a huff, straining against the bands that held him.

"Anyway, since you lost your own family..."

"WHAT?!"

"You know, it says here that you're not eating," Ukyo commented, flipping through his chart casually.

"How dare you?!"

"Is that why they've got that IV set up? You look like you're losing weight."

"What the hell has that got to do with anything?"

"So, it's true. You're not eating."

"That's none of your business!"

"Just proves you really need some mothering."

"Get out of here now, or I'll call the nurse," Ryoga snarled.

"Suit yourself," Ukyo said, "but the more you make a jackass out of yourself, the more convinced I am that you need my help."

"Get out, NOW!" Ryoga cried. "I don't want your help - I want my life back!"

"What's going on in here?" a nurse asked, stepping into the room, and Ukyo took advantage of the opportunity to leave, ignoring the sound of Ryoga yelling after her. His family had officially disowned him, but she hadn't had the heart to tell him about it while he was still in his sick bed... even if he had been acting like a jackass.

No, the poor kid didn't need to hear about the parents that didn't want him. What he needed... was a family. "Someone to take care of him..." she mused to herself as she stepped onto the elevator. Jackass or not, she just had to help Ryoga. It was the least she could do.

Ranma stood on the port side of the ship, breathing deeply of the clean salt spray as the vessel carved her way through the swelling waves. The sky above was cloudless, and he had a perfect view of the stars in all their glory. Looking out over the prow, there was nothing but the vastness of sea and sky, extending to a horizon hidden in the dark of night. Dark and dark and more dark. It almost made him feel as directionless as Ryoga...

He frowned, disturbed by the queasy mix of guilt and lingering fury that still bubbled up when he thought of Ryoga. Ryoga had been the closest thing to a best friend he'd ever had... but he had... what Ryoga had done...

And Ukyo had helped him do it, damn her. He had thought, of all of them, she'd be the last person to do something like that. He didn't know whether Ryoga was dead or alive, and he wasn't sure he cared... no, that wasn't true, and it was stupid to lie to himself under the cold, clear sky. He cared, even though he shouldn't. He even cared enough about Ukyo to leave town before he did something to hurt her, too. He was drenched with shame for what he had done to Ryoga... yet the fury was still there, and it chilled him to the bone.

A vision of Akane came unbidden to his mind's eye, and his heart twisted with grief. He hadn't wanted to leave her... but she had been so disgusted with his loss of control, she hadn't even spoken to him or looked at him for days...

He brushed salty wetness from his cheeks, which could have been sea spray but wasn't, and faced into the wind again as the ship carried him inexorably forward into the encompassing darkness.

**I KNOW. This end is HORRIBLE and there is a lot of unanswered questions. Sorry, but as I said before, this fanfic is not mine, so do not expect another chapter. I only did the post here. Kill the author, not the postman.**

THE END

The characters in this story are not mine (they are the creation and property of Rumiko Takahashi, and are used here without permission), and neither is the idea of "Passion Spice." My apologies to whoever thought up "Passion Spice." I don't have a name to attach to the idea, but if you let me know who you are, I'll be happy to give you proper credit.

Author's Note: I did not create Ranma 1/2, and the Ranma 1/2 characters and situations are being used in this fic without permission or license. This story is not meant to be taken as a claim to the copyright, and I do not mean any disrespect whatsoever to the creators of this wonderful anime.


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